Microsoft is giving its Snipping Tool a long-overdue feature that Windows users probably should have had years ago. If you’re a fan of quick screen recordings, the latest update to the Snipping Tool finally lets you export those clips as GIFs.
Rolling out now to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, version 11.2505.21.0 of Snipping Tool brings the ability to save screen recordings as animated GIFs. Microsoft says this update is aimed at boosting productivity, but let’s be real, folks, it’s also perfect for memes, bug reports, or just sending that “look at this nonsense” moment to your coworkers.
To use the feature, you can open the screen recorder by pressing Win + Shift + R or by toggling into recording mode within the Snipping Tool app. After capturing your video, a new “Export GIF” button appears in the toolbar. Clicking it prompts you to choose between low and high-quality options. Once selected, you can either save the resulting file or copy it straight to your clipboard for easy sharing.
There is one big limitation though. GIF export is capped at 30 seconds. If your recording is longer, only the first 30 seconds will be included. For many users, that might be enough. However, those hoping to create longer GIFs will need to stick with third-party tools for now.
Truth be told, it does annoy me that this feature is limited to Windows Insiders for now. Microsoft has a habit of holding back features in these preview channels for far too long, and it’s frustrating to see useful tools like this drip-fed to only a slice of users. Hopefully it will quickly be found stable enough for all, as this feature can truly help many users.
This update gives Snipping Tool some parity with macOS’s built-in screen capture features, which already offer streamlined sharing workflows. And while Linux users have long relied on open source options like Peek for GIF exports, it’s nice to see Microsoft finally catch up a bit.
